Norfolk Housing Authority in VA

The most common HA program is Section 8. There is a long waiting list for this program. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of people that have applied for the vouchers of Section 8 has skyrocketed, hence there are a lot of application delays. As of right now, the housing authority waiting list is 1 year and a half. The public housing authority programs favors specific groups of people or families that fit certain profiles. Priority is given to veterans, to the elderly, to the people that are exiting domestic violence.

The Housing Choice Voucher Program is aimed at helping low-income families who meet the requirement of income lower than 50% of the local area median income. The idea is that the cost of the rent is split between the tenant and the federal assistance program. The part that you pay depends on your income. You could get up to 30 % assistance on your rent or more, all depends on the specifics of the situation.

The main unit of measurement is the Fair Market Rent cost. If the unit that you live in has a cost that is in the range of the Fair Market Rent, you will get the 30% or more rent assistance as designated from the program and you pay the rest of the rent. If you choose to live in an apartment that is above the fair market rent, the Housing Choice Voucher Program will cover their percentage as a total of the housing market rent. Anything above the housing market rent will be charged out of your pocket.

You can apply for the housing choice voucher program by reaching out to the local housing authority office. You fill out their application form and provide all supporting documents. After you have all the forms and supporting documents, you drop them at the local office, and then you are placed on a waiting list. If approved, you will receive a mail at your current address stating the details. You will then notify your landlord. After you have been accepted onto the housing choice voucher program go to the housing office and sign the contract.

The idea of the HA is to provide housing assistance. There are differences among all the programs that we have mentioned so far in this material. Section 8 allows you to choose a preferred location. The landlord must also agree to accept the Section 8 housing vouchers.

Section 8 has 2 subdivisions: there is a tenant option and a project option. The tenant voucher follows the tenant. This means that the tenant can change housing and transfer the voucher with him if the new landlord accepts these vouchers as payment. The project housing is tied to a specific location and the tenant must reside in that location to get the rental assistance. In the public housing program, the proprieties are owned by the rental assistance agency.

There is also public housing, which is managed by the government. The idea is that there are housing options that are subsidized by the government. This program welcomes low-income families. The rent that the tenants pay depends on their annual income. So the difference between section 8 vs public housing is that section 8 lets you choose your residence and you get a subsidy on your rent and public housing allows you to live in a place that is owned by the government.

Section 8 is a great program to offer rental assistance. The voucher of Section 8 covers 30-40% of the rent cost, which also includes utilities. To qualify for section 8 vouchers, you need to prove to the housing authorities that minimally your income is 80% of the local median income. You also need to show American citizenship to all the people in your household. With immigrants, there are extra documents to submit, such as naturalization documents or I-94 stamps. You also need to show your past landlord history, hence if you have an eviction record, you will be disqualified.